Laughing of Angels
by Moonlite Streak
Summary: "Around him, children frolicked gaily with grins and their parents paused in the streets; more than one pair of eyes alight with a contentment that was scarce seen in these dark days of strife." Merlin has a life outside of his destiny, beyond saving Camelot and saving the prat. Now we get a look at it. Drabble series - takes place after S4 finale.


_Author's Note: Takes place after season 4._

Prompt 1 - Snowflakes

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Snowflakes.

Merlin looked up, and a few of the dancing white diamonds settled on his thick eyelashes and balanced on the tip of his bright red nose.

They fell like white angels, coating the ground on which he walked with a blinding purity. Around him, children frolicked gaily with grins and their parents paused in the streets; more than one pair of eyes alight with a contentment that was scarce seen in these dark days of strife.

At this moment, Merlin thought, all those people with their love and their lives and their hopes and their dreams…those children with their games and their fun and their imagination…those citizens of Camelot were united as one body, one consciousness that silently appreciated the arrival of snowfall.

A bump to the back of his legs brought a halt to his wandering thoughts, and he looked around to see a familiar small bundle behind him, using his lanky form as a shelter from an emerging snowball fight.

He _'ahemmed'_ down at the child jokily, and a messy head of hair tilted upwards to smile toothily at his face. Merlin chuckled to himself, a brief flashback of himself hiding from Will behind his mother's dress folds stirring a pang of nostalgia inside his chest.

The arms around his knees tightened, and Merlin focused back on the child. He recognised her as the cook's youngest daughter, Maria. She often sat down in the kitchens, twisting her long, straw coloured hair around her small fingers as her mother preached to her the ways of the royal household.

Whenever he went to fetch the king's breakfast, it was often little Maria that handed it to him, with blushing cheeks and a bashful grin, and Merlin would thank 'her ladyship' and elicit a giggle from little Maria's lips.

Merlin reached around and picked Maria up, amidst protest at first, settling her on his skinny shoulders. She laughed and thanked him shyly, fisting her hands in his dark hair so as not to fall. Some kids around him saw this, and started pulling gently at his trouser legs, demanding attention.

He sighed showily, and the small gaggle of children around him laughed at his antics. Before he knew it, he had three or four of them grabbing onto his sleeves, and another couple of kids trailing behind him.

"Aren't I popular?" he crowed to them, chuckling as the children rolled their eyes and swatted at him playfully in response. He walked through the lower markets and recited tales of daring quests and exciting adventures - minus the use of magic involvement - to the group's delight.

He paused as he passed the bakery to buy a loaf of stale bread for them to share with the copper coins he had on him, and after that was hungrily devoured by eager mouths, much pleading and whining from his little companions pressed him to grudgingly agree to join in their snowball fight.

It was all worth it though, to hear the bell-like laughs of the children; eventually he wound up lying in the white dust with giggling children tucked into his sides, all of them laughing and shivering and soaked to the bone.

Merlin smiled at them all, taking in their red noses and red lips that were curved up to the white skies above.

Laughing among the angels…

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_A/N: A bit of an experiment for me. I have written anything in a long while, and I was sick today so I stayed home from school. Well, boredom + a want to write some more Merlin = this fanfic XD_

_Please give me some feedback - even you elusive anonymous readers out there! I already have a couple of drabble series on the go, that I've neglected recently, and I was wondering whether it would be smart to start another one right now...but I like the concept that this is a little collection of drabbles about Merlin's life outside his destiny and the Round Table._

_It's just me trying to show that delicate side of our fave warlock that we all know is there, but never get a chance to see. This chapter was also meant to portray a child's innocence, and how their infectious laughs can be alikened to an angel's._

_Any ideas, requests? PM me :) _

_And don't forget to review!_

_~Moonlite Streak~_


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